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Warfare (film)

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Warfare
The face of man with a moustache and googles, his face is caked with mud. The title WARFARE in orange block letters is printed across the bridge of his nose.
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Written by
  • Ray Mendoza
  • Alex Garland
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDavid J. Thompson
Edited byFin Oates
Production
company
Distributed byA24
Release dates
  • March 16, 2025 (2025-03-16) (Music Box Theatre)
  • April 11, 2025 (2025-04-11) (United States)
  • April 18, 2025 (2025-04-18) (United Kingdom)
Running time
95 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million[2]
Box office$31 million[3][4]

Warfare is a 2025 war film written and directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland. Based on Mendoza's experiences during the Iraq War as a U.S. Navy SEAL, the film depicts an encounter he and his platoon experienced on November 19, 2006 in the wake of the Battle of Ramadi.[5] To maintain historical accuracy, the film's material is taken exclusively from the testimonies of the platoon members, and is presented in real time. It stars an ensemble cast that includes D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Mendoza, alongside Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, Noah Centineo, and Michael Gandolfini. The film is dedicated to platoon member Elliott Miller (Jarvis), who lost his leg and the ability to speak in the incident.[6]

Warfare premiered at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago on March 16, 2025, and was released in the United States by A24 on April 11, 2025, and in the United Kingdom on April 18. It received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $31 million.

Plot

[edit]

During the 2006 Battle of Ramadi, Navy SEAL platoon Alpha One takes control of a local house under the cover of darkness. Upon discovering the upper floor is a separate apartment, they breach a wall to gain entry. JTAC communications officer Ray Mendoza coordinates air support to monitor their position while sniper and medic Elliott Miller monitors a market across the street. They are providing overwatch in support of a US Marines operation.

Translators Farid and Noor learn of different families on the two floors of the building and tell them to remain silent in place. Ray and Elliott observe increased activity and air support leaves the area. ANGLICO LT McDonald radios for air assets while the translators warn that the enemy has broadcast a call to arms. Leading Officer in Charge Erik assigns the translators to guard the lower level of the building. A grenade is thrown into the sniper's room, injuring Elliott, while Tommy and Frank suffer concussions. A CASEVAC is called to evacuate Elliott. In preparation, the team gather their weapons and blow Claymore mines. Through dense smoke, the Iraqi translators lead Elliott, Sam, Tommy and Erik out to the waiting M2 Bradley. As its ramp drops, an IED is detonated killing one of their translators, Farid, and wounding Elliott and Leading Petty Officer Sam. The Bradley, also sustaining casualties, withdraws.

Alpha One falls back and reorganizes in the house. Inside, they tend to Sam and Elliott, both seriously wounded with Elliott knocked unconscious. Erik calls Alpha Two to redeploy urgently into their position, but their advance is delayed by firefights in the street. Air support returns, but because enemy fighters are so close to Alpha One's position McDonald can only coordinate a show of force. Ray determines Sam requires a tourniquet but is unable to apply it due to his shaking hands. Instead, he places his knee on Sam's wound, increasing Sam's agony. Ray dissociates, Erik steps in to apply the tourniquet. Elliott regains consciousness and screams in pain as McDonald tends to his injuries. Elliott directs McDonald to the morphine in his bag which is finally administered to Elliott and Sam.

Alpha Two and the third element reach Alpha One's building. Erik, severely disoriented, surrenders his leadership to Alpha Two leader, Jake. Jake's request for medical evacuation is denied for fear of another IED attack. He orders his communications officer, John, to impersonate the army commanding officer to approve their evacuation. Gear is retrieved from the street before Elliott and Sam are loaded into a Bradley each. The team return to the house with insurgents converging on their position. Believing they might have infiltrated the second floor from the roof, Jake orders two other Bradleys to take out the top deck of their building. Under cover of another show of force, Alpha One and Alpha Two are extracted by the Bradleys and leave the neighborhood under heavy small arms fire. The families in the house slowly emerge from their rooms, realizing the soldiers have left. The surviving insurgents cautiously gather in the street and study the remains of Farid.

The film ends on the title card: For Elliott. Before the end credits roll, the real SEAL team 5 involved in the mission are shown participating in the production of the film.

Cast

[edit]

With the exception of Mendoza and Miller, all real-life figures were given aliases for their characters.

Production

[edit]

In February 2024, it was announced that A24 was developing a war film with Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland attached, which would follow Garland's film Civil War, for which Mendoza was military supervisor. The duo wrote the script and planned to direct the film together. At the time of the announcement, Charles Melton was in negotiations to star,[9] and Joseph Quinn was being considered for the cast.[10] D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai was cast to portray Mendoza himself in March 2024, when the title was confirmed to be Warfare,[11] with Kit Connor, Cosmo Jarvis, Will Poulter, and Finn Bennett being added to the cast.[12] That month, Garland announced he would step back from directing films and focus on writing, announcing that his directorial role in Warfare would be more of a supporting role to Mendoza's.[13] In April 2024, Noah Centineo, Taylor John Smith, Adain Bradley, Michael Gandolfini, Henry Zaga, and Evan Holtzman joined the cast.[14] Principal photography began in May 2024[15][failed verification] at Bovingdon Airfield Studios in the UK.[16]

Release

[edit]

Warfare was released by A24 in the United States on April 11, 2025.[17][18] The film premiered at the Hollywood American Legion Theater in Los Angeles on March 12, 2025, in front of veterans and members of the military community and featured a questions and answers session with the directors after the screening. [19] The film had a star-studded red carpet premiere in Los Angeles on March 27 2025. [20] The film had a UK premiere at Battersea Power Station Cinema on 1st April 2025, which was attended by many of the cast and crew,[21] before going on general release in the UK on April 18 2025. [22]

Reception

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Box office

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As of May 11, 2025, Warfare grossed $25.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $5.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $31 million.[4][3]

In the United States and Canada, Warfare was released alongside The Amateur, Drop, and The King of Kings, and was projected to gross $6–9 million from 2,670 theaters in its opening weekend.[23][2] The film made $3.6 million on its first day, including an estimated $1.16 million from preview screenings throughout the week. It went on to debut to $8.3 million, finishing fourth at the box office.[24][25] In its second weekend the film made $4.9 million (a drop of 41%), finishing in fifth.[26]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 215 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Narratively cut to the bone and geared up with superb filmmaking craft, Warfare evokes the primal terror of combat with unnerving power."[27] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[28] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it a 90% overall positive score, with 67% saying they would definitely recommend the film.[24]

In a five-star review for the BBC, critic Caryn James wrote, "together, Garland's virtuosity and Mendoza's first-hand experience create a masterful technical achievement that is, more important, emotionally harrowing."[29] Critic Wendy Ide of The Guardian also gave Warfare five stars, writing that the film, "doesn’t just show you the horrors of war; it forces you to taste the dust and the choking panic, smell the fear and the cordite and the tinny metallic tang of spilled blood", and favorably compared it with other war films such as Saving Private Ryan, Come and See, and All Quiet on the Western Front.[30]

In a mixed review, Gregory Nussen of Deadline Hollywood wrote: "At best, Warfare is an artfully made recreation; at worst it is naked military propaganda set during one of the country's most egregious moments of imperialism."[31]

References

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  1. ^ "Warfare (15)". BBFC. March 31, 2025. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  2. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 9, 2025). "'A Minecraft Movie' Posts Fourth-Biggest Tuesday In April, Will Stack $65M+ In Second Weekend – Box Office Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Warfare". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Warfare – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
  5. ^ Grobar, Matt (December 16, 2024). "'Warfare' Trailer: Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza Step Into Navy SEAL Team's Iraq War Experience For A24". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  6. ^ "Why Warfare is Dedicated to Elliott Miller: What Happened to the Real Navy SEAL". Screen Rant. April 11, 2025.
  7. ^ Michael Gandolfini’s Transformative ‘Warfare’ Journey Included a Surprising Connection to His Father
  8. ^ "Warfare | Official First Look | A24". YouTube. March 4, 2025.
  9. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 6, 2024). "Charles Melton in Talks to Join Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland's Untitled War Film at A24". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  10. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 21, 2024). "Fantastic Four's Joseph Quinn in Talks to Join New Movie from Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland at A24". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  11. ^ Cordero, Rosy (March 27, 2024). "Ray Mendoza & Alex Garland's Warfare Feature Casts Reservation Dogs Star D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation.
  12. ^ Cordero, Rosy (March 28, 2024). "Kit Connor, Cosmo Jarvis, Will Poulter & Finn Bennett Round Out Lead Cast of Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland's Warfare". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  13. ^ Kaloi, Stephanie (March 31, 2024). "'Civil War' Director Alex Garland Says He's Done Directing for the 'Foreseeable Future'". TheWrap.
  14. ^ Kroll, Justin (April 10, 2024). "Noah Centineo, Michael Gandolfini, Henrique Zaga, Taylor John Smith, Adain Bradley And Evan Holtzman Join Ray Mendoza And Alex Garland's 'Warfare' At A24". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  15. ^ Calnan, Ellie (April 15, 2024). "2024 film and high-end TV productions shooting in the UK and Ireland: latest updates". Archived from the original on April 15, 2024. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  16. ^ Calnan, Ellie (April 2, 2025). "Alex Garland says shooting Iraq-set 'Warfare' in the UK "made sense", Kit Connor talks gun safety". Screen. Screen International. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  17. ^ Gearan, Hannah (December 13, 2024). "Alex Garland's Civil War Follow-Up Warfare Gets A Grim First Look In New Poster". Screen Rant. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  18. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 21, 2025). "A24 Sets Nationwide Release For Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza's Iraq War Pic 'Warfare'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  19. ^ "Warfare Directors Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza on thie A24 Movie". March 28, 2025. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  20. ^ "A24 Premieres Highly Anticipated War Drama 'Warfare'". March 28, 2025. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  21. ^ "Warfare UK Special Screening". March 13, 2025. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  22. ^ "Warfare BBFC". Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  23. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (April 9, 2025). "Box Office: 'Minecraft' to Steamroll Over Rami Malek's 'Amateur,' Blumhouse Thriller 'Drop'". Variety. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  24. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 11, 2025). "'Minecraft' Crosses $200M; 'Amateur' & 'King Of Kings' Herald $2M Previews, More – Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  25. ^ "Domestic 2025 Weekend 15". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  26. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 21, 2025). "Sinners Even More Divine With $48M No. 1 Easter Box Office Opening – Monday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 19, 2025. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  27. ^ "Warfare". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 12, 2025. Edit this at Wikidata
  28. ^ "Warfare". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  29. ^ James, Caryn (April 13, 2025). "Warfare review: A combat epic that 'does what film does best'". BBC. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  30. ^ Ide, Wendy (April 20, 2025). "Warfare review – nerve-shredding real-time Iraq war film drags you into visceral frontline combat". The Guardian. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  31. ^ Nussen, Gregory (March 28, 2025). "'Warfare' Review: Alex Garland's Iraq War Film Is Full Of Bombastic Aestheticism That Leaves You Feeling Empty". Deadline. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
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